HOOVER, Ala. -- Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn turned heads at SEC Media Days on Monday when he shared his esteem for former Florida coach and current Tigers defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.
“In my opinion, he’s the best defensive mind in all of football, not just college football.”
The lovefest for “Coach Boom” only continued thereafter, with a pair of Muschamp’s former UF players also praising the defensive guru.
“Everybody on the defense is going to get better,” Gators cornerback Veron Hargreaves III said.
“They’re going to practice hard. They’re going to play hard. Definitely run to the ball. That’s one of his big points of emphasis. Coach Muschamp likes you to act mature. He doesn’t really bother you much. He sets his rules and that’s his rules. If you can follow them, you’ll be a great player. If you can’t, [he’s] probably not the coach for you.”
Muschamp was just 28-21 in four seasons as Florida’s head coach, but he presided over three top-10 defenses and was beloved by his players -- especially those on the defense -- even after he was fired.
“He’s a guy that just wins you over,” UF defensive lineman Jon Bullard said.
“He makes you want to play for him.”
Now, Muschamp is tasked with reinvigorating a middling Tigers unit on a team hoping to compete for a national title. In short order, Malzahn said Muschamp has already impacted the team's culture and energy.
“He gives the players confidence,” Malzahn said.
“He has the ‘it’ factor. We think the future is bright.”
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